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Community Projects
Our vision and mission at work is rooted in the projects we are focused on completing. Throughout the year, NICA is working on multiple projects directly related to our five inititiatives: education, commerce development, public health, infrastructure and community pride. Many projects are ongoing as we add additional elements to the objective, and others have a definite completion. In both cases, we develop these projects to ensure we are meeting our goals as an organization focused on restoring diginity throughout rural Nicaragua.
Current and Completed Projects
The "IAP" was the first program implemented in El Tránsito. It was launched in 2007 with two supervisors and 64 participants divided into eight groups. Today, the program has improved and is now run more efficiently by one supervisor, Jaime Mercado, who coordinates 60 participants divided into twelve groups.
Many children in El Tránsito eat one meal a day. Some go without food unless they go to school. Unfortunately, the children who are the most poor often can't attend school because their families can't afford to buy uniforms. The Food Program helps all families in El Tránsito send their children to school because it provides a complete balanced meal for each child every day they attend school.
Volunteer help teach English and dance classes as well as offer tutoring for Math, and NICA will be introducing some internet based English classes after school in 2013.
While participating in NICA's Volunteer Abroad Program, volunteers are involved in various projects focused on increasing the sustainability of the communities we serve. All of the projects fall into one of the categories within NICA's mission: education, commerce development, public health, infrastructure and community pride.
The Douglas Vasquez School is the local public school in El Tránsito. It conducts primary and secondary school teaching where approximately 175 children attend. NICA has seven ongoing programs at the Douglas Vasquez School.
La Fraternidad School is the local religious school in El Transito. It is considered to be 1/2 public and 1/2 private. It offers primary education during the week and secondary options for adults on Saturdays and Sundays. NICA has four ongoing programs at La Fraternidad School.
NICA repairs roads every dry season from the destruction of the previous rainy season. Each year, a project is identified and coordinated with the Mayor's office.
In 2010, NICA constructed a new baseball field in El Transito. This project brought commerce opportunities to El Transito.
In 2009, NICA constructed a new public well site over the existing Ojo de Agua for El Transito and neighboring communities. This project brought commerce opportunities to El Transito and surrounding communities.
In 2007, El Transito did not have access to their municipal water supply for over twelve weeks when NICA stepped in to help the community. NICA negotiated with the local land owner and was able to install a generator to pump water at the well and took over water delivery until the government of Nicaragua could resolve the property dispute between the land owner and the electrical company. NICA delivered water to El Trasito for fourteen months until the dispute was resolved.